Department for Transport

Driverless Vehicles: Cybersecurity

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to build a regulatory frameworkto manage the cybersecurity risks associated with automated vehicle technology.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government has committed to legislating for automated vehicles and is currently considering the recommendations published by the Law Commissions in January, which cover cyber security.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Global Navigation Satellite Systems

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the national PNT strategy will be released.

Lord Callanan: The Government has not yet produced a national PNT strategy. In 2021 Cabinet Office produced a draft document presenting PNT use cases across CNI sectors and identifying requirements for greater resilience. Government departments are now establishing coordination mechanisms for sector requirements, risk appetite and mitigation options and the findings of the Cabinet Office work will form part of their work going forward.

Postage Stamps: ICT

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government, whether they can outline what the (1) operational efficiencies, (2) security features, and (3) innovative services, are that will be introduced for stamps requiring barcodes after 31 January 2023.

Lord Callanan: The development and administration of stamp products, including special stamps, is an operational matter for Royal Mail, a private company. The Government is not involved in Royal Mail’s operational or commercial decisions. Royal Mail’s management is best placed to set out the operational benefits of its products.

Measurement

Lord Vinson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to enable the increased use of imperial units following the UK’s departure from the EU; whether they are reviewing the present metric regulations; and, if so, what plans they have to consult The British Weights and Measures Association as a result of this review.

Lord Callanan: The Government is reviewing the current law on the use of metric and imperial units of measurement. The purpose of the review is to identify how we can give more choice to businesses and consumers over the units of measurement they use, while ensuring that measurement information remains accurate. As part of this review, we will carry out an early-stage consultation to gather views and to ensure that we have the best evidence available to make any changes. We would encourage the British Weights and Measures Association to share their views as part of that process.

Business: Billing

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, before promoting the work of large businesses, they assess compliance with the Prompt Payment Code.

Lord Callanan: The Prompt Payment Code is a voluntary code administered by the Office of the Small Business Commissioner on behalf of BEIS. It is not compulsory for businesses to become Code signatories.

Tidal Power

Lord Goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to encourage the development of tidal power in the UK.

Lord Callanan: The Government announced in November that the fourth Contracts for Difference allocation round will feature a £20 million annual ringfenced budget for tidal stream energy. The Government remains open to considering well-developed proposals for harnessing the tidal range energy in the bays and estuaries around the UK’s coastlines, including barrage schemes and other alternatives. Any proposal would need to demonstrate strong evidence of value for money before the Government could take a view on its potential.

P&O Ferries: Staff

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect the rights of P&O Ferries staff who were made redundant on 17 March.

Lord Callanan: My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has written to the Insolvency Service asking them to urgently undertake a thorough review into the actions of P&O Ferries. This will include any scope to take action against the company’s directors. While I do not wish to prejudge the outcome, and it is important due process is followed, we will not hesitate to take further action if appropriate to do so.

Natural Gas and Oil: Russia

Lord Tyrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the increase in cost to the buyers of Russian (1) oil, and (2) gas, in the UK of a ban on the import of these products.

Lord Callanan: The UK is in not dependent on Russian gas. In 2021 it made up less than 4% of UK supply. The integrated nature of the European gas market, and the fact that gas is an international traded commodity, means that factors that influence European or internationally prices are likely to be reflected in UK prices. The Government remains confident in the UK’s energy security and the UK’s highly diverse sources of gas supply. Crude oil operates in an international market and influenced by a range of supply and demand factors. The phasing out of Russian imports will not be immediate, but allows the UK time to adjust its supply chains.

P&O Ferries: Staff

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of P&O Ferries' decision to terminate the employment of its workforce via a pre-recorded video.

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have toreviewemployment law following the decision of P&O Ferries to dismiss its employees via a pre-recorded video.

Lord Callanan: The Government wrote to the Insolvency Service on 23 March asking it to undertake an urgent and thorough enquiry into the recent actions of P&O Ferries, to determine whether the law has been complied with and consider prompt and appropriate action where it has not. The Insolvency Service confirmed on 01 April that following its enquiries it has initiated both formal and civil investigations into the circumstances surrounding the redundancies made by P&O Ferries. You will appreciate that while these investigations are being progressed it would not be appropriate to make further comment but the Insolvency Service will provide an update in due course.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus and 
Influenza: Older People

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have modelled the potentialco-circulation of COVID-19 and flu among the over 50s in the 2022/23 flu season; and if so, what were the results of that modelling.

Lord Kamall: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is currently undertaking independent flu and COVID-19 models. The UKHSA anticipates there will not be a significant interaction between the two pathogens and it is more likely that coincidental co-infections will occur. The sum of the independent COVID-19 and flu models will therefore represent the overall impact which may be expected.

Department for Education

Children: Day Care

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they willtake to ensure families have adequate access to early years support.

Baroness Barran: The government is investing £300 million to transform family help services in 75 local authorities. This includes funding for Family Hubs, parenting programmes and Start for Life services. We announced the 75 eligible local authorities on the 2 April 2022. The 75 local authorities, and the methodology used to select them can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-hubs-and-start-for-life-package-methodology-for-pre-selecting-local-authorities.The government is committed to ensuring affordable access to childcare. Our current range of childcare offers includes 15 hours free early education for all three and four-year-olds, regardless of parental income or working status. This helps children to develop social skills and prepare them for school, regardless of their background.In 2013, this offer was extended to the most disadvantaged two-year-olds, providing a developmental boost to disadvantaged children who are less likely to use formal childcare, but who stand to benefit from it the most.In 2017, we introduced 30 hours free childcare for working parents of three and four-year-olds. To be eligible for this, a lone parent must earn from just over £7,400 a year, and a couple, where both parents are working, must earn from just over £14,800 per year, to access 30 hours. This can save parents over £6,000 per year.The department has also introduced tax-free childcare, which is available for working parents of children aged 0-11 (or up to 16 if their child is disabled), with the same income thresholds as 30 hours free childcare. This scheme can save parents up to £2,000 per year (or up to £4,000 if their child is disabled) and can be used alongside 30 hours free childcare.Working parents on Universal Credit may also be eligible for help with up to 85% of their childcare costs through the childcare element of Universal Credit. This is subject to a monthly limit of £646 for one child or £1,108 for two or more children aged 0-16.

Special Educational Needs: Teachers

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure there are adequate specialist teachers to support children with Special Educational Needs.

Baroness Barran: Education is a devolved matter, and the response will outline the information for England only. We have the same high ambitions for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) as we do for every child, and we know that they benefit from excellent teaching that allows them to fulfil their potential. The Schools White Paper, published Monday 28 March, sets the foundations to support the aims and ambitions of the SEND Review. We want to make our system even better for all children, especially those in need of extra support.Our reformed Initial Teacher Training Core Content Framework (ITT CCF) and the new Early Career Framework (ECF), both developed with sector experts, will equip teachers with a clear understanding of the needs of children with SEND.All teachers are teachers of SEND. ITT courses must be designed so that trainee teachers can demonstrate that they meet the Teachers’ Standards at the appropriate level, which includes the requirement that all teachers must have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND.Consideration of SEND underpins both the ITT CCF and ECF, which were both produced with the support of sector experts. The ECF is designed to support all pupils to succeed and seeks to widen access for all.Furthermore, as part of the SEND and Alternative Provision Green Paper, we will consult on introducing a leadership level SENCO National Professional Qualification to replace the National Award in SEN Coordination (NASENCO) as the mandatory qualification for SENCOs. We have set out further detail in the SEND Review.This will better align SENCO qualifications with our reformed teacher development system and ensure that these professionals are fully supported to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND.It is a legal requirement for qualified teachers of classes of pupils with sensory impairments to hold the relevant mandatory qualification, known as MQSI. The department’s aim is to ensure a steady supply of teachers for children with visual, hearing, and multi-sensory impairment, in both specialist and mainstream education providers.

Department for International Trade

Trade Agreements: Australia

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) in what circumstances, and (2) under which conditions, Australian imports into Northern Ireland are able to benefit from the provisions of the UK trade deal with Australia.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: The UK-Australia FTA applies to all four parts of the UK, including Northern Ireland. There are some specific instances where Australian importers will see differences when moving goods into Northern Ireland as a result of the Northern Ireland Protocol. However, the Protocol did not prevent the UK from including Northern Ireland in the market access granted to Australia in the FTA.

Trade Agreements: New Zealand

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the projected impact of the UK–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement on the UK economy.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: Our published impact assessment shows that the UK-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) could increase UK gross domestic product (GDP) 0.03% or the equivalent of £0.8 billion by 2035. The impact assessment also shows that bilateral trade could increase by almost 60% and that take home pay for UK workers could increase by around £200 million in the long run, when compared to 2019 estimates of wages without the agreement. The full impact assessment, which also includes impacts on sectors, regions, the environment and more, is available here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-new-zealand-fta-impact-assessment

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

China: Russia

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what further representations they have made to President Xi Jinping regarding China's nuclear activity with Russia.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK engages regularly with China on counter-proliferation issues and there is considerable scope for constructive engagement and cooperation. The UK encourages all States Party to the Treaty on the Non Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to abide by their obligations and commitments under that treaty, and in particular for nuclear weapon states to take their special responsibilities seriously.

Ukraine: Refugees

Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are giving to Ukrainian refugees who have a disability; and how they are assisting the organisations in neighbouring countries which are supporting them.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: There are 2.7 million people with disabilities in Ukraine that are at high risk of harm and abandonment. Many are trapped, unable to evacuate and experiencing severe food and medication shortages.The UK has committed £394 million in humanitarian aid to the Ukraine crisis, including £220 million of humanitarian assistance which will be used to save lives, protect vulnerable people inside Ukraine and in neighbouring countries. UK humanitarian experts have deployed to Poland, Moldova and Romania to provide logistics, advice and analysis of the refugee situation, and a medical assessment team to Romania and Moldova to assess options for rapidly deploying UK Emergency Medical Team (UKEMT) capabilities.

Russia: Ukraine

Lord Birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to assist in international efforts to gather evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine, and to identify those responsible, including (1) individual perpetrators, and (2) those in command.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK led efforts to refer the situation in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court (ICC). On 4 March, the Metropolitan Police's War Crimes Team announced it was gathering evidence in relation to alleged war crimes in Ukraine in support of the ICC investigation. The Government has also made clear that we are willing to provide the necessary technical assistance to support successful convictions.It is for the ICC Prosecutor to independently determine who should be prosecuted for war crimes committed in Ukraine, including those that ordered them, in accordance with his mandate under the Rome Statute.

Eritrea: Russia

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the decision of Eritrea to vote against the UN resolution condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, what representations the UK's ambassador to Eritrea has made to the government of that country regarding its support of the Russian invasion of Ukraine; and whether they are considering additional sanctions as a response.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Minister for Africa wrote to the Eritrean Foreign Minister on 15 March expressing the UK's disappointment at the Eritrean vote and urging them to reconsider their stance on Russian aggression towards Ukraine.  Our Ambassador reiterated these points when he met the Foreign Minister on 15 March.It is not appropriate to speculate on future sanctions designations, to do so could reduce their impact. All policy options are on the table.

Milorad Dodik

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they are having with (1) European partners, and (2) others, regarding the sanctions imposed against Milorad Dodik.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Sanctions are an important part of the UK toolkit for the Western Balkans. We have an autonomous Bosnia and Herzegovina sanctions regime which we keep under constant review. In close coordination with our US, European and other international partners, we are reviewing a range of restrictive measures to introduce consequences for destabilising and dangerous behaviour. These include sanctions as well as greater conditionality attached to international assistance. We cannot currently comment or speculate on future sanctions targets, as to do so could reduce their impact.

Ministry of Defence

Military Operations: Shipping

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to ensure there are sufficient UK seafarers to operate the ships necessary for overseas military operations.

Baroness Goldie: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) continues to monitor situations globally to ensure our planning and delivery mechanisms remain agile and support Integrated Review priorities.We remain confident that the Royal Navy has sufficient military personnel, and civilian UK seafarers within the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, to operate the current MOD fleet of vessels necessary for overseas military operations.

Armed Forces: Housing

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government how manyMinistry of Defence Service Family Accommodation units are currently unoccupied in (1) England, (2) Scotland, (3) Wales, and (4) Northern Ireland.

Baroness Goldie: As at 21 March 2022, the Department has the following number of unoccupied Service Family Accommodation units in the United Kingdom: England7,477Scotland665Wales223Northern Ireland427

Department for Work and Pensions

Poverty: Coronavirus

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government, what assessment they have made of the report Covid Realities: documenting life on a low income during thepandemic, published on 24 January; what assessment they have made of the finding in that report that support for people in poverty should, whenever possible, be provided in cash; and what plans they have to change the guidance to local authorities on assistance provided through the Household Support Fund.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: No assessment has been made. We have no current plans to change our guidance for the Household Support Fund on this matter. Local Authorities have the flexibility to design local schemes under the Household Support Fund that best meet local needs within the parameters set out in the guidance. Household Support Fund: final guidance for County Councils and Unitary Authorities in England - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(paragraph 90).The guidance does not prevent Councils from issuing cash to households in need of emergency support.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Animal Products: Imports

Lord Selkirk of Douglas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the temporary postponement of the proposed ban on imports of hunting trophies.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We remain committed to bringing forward legislation to ban imports of hunting trophies from thousands of species. This ban will be among the strongest in the world, leading the way in protecting endangered animals. We will bring this forward as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Food Supply

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of an Affordable Food Innovation Fund being included in the White Paper to be published in response to the National Food Strategy.

Lord Benyon: The forthcoming Food Strategy White Paper is a once in a generation opportunity to create a food system that feeds our nation today and protects it for tomorrow. It will build on existing work across Government and identify new opportunities to make the food system healthier, more sustainable, more resilient, and more accessible for those across the UK. Tackling poverty in all forms is a key priority for this Government. We are providing support worth around £21 billion this financial year and next to help families with the cost of living.

Veterinary Medicine: Vacancies

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourageveterinary surgeons to work in the UK to ensure that there is adequate cover for (1) animal welfare, and (2) public health.

Lord Benyon: The Government is working with the veterinary profession, including the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, to help ensure that there will be an adequate number of vets across all sectors of the veterinary profession. Defra, alongside the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the British Veterinary Association, was successful in campaigning for the addition of the veterinary profession to the Shortage Occupation List by the Home Office in September 2019. This enabled employers to recruit overseas veterinary surgeons more easily. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons continues to accept the vast majority of European veterinary degrees as well as maintaining mutual recognition agreements with many English-speaking countries that allow automatic registration for overseas vets. Defra is also strongly considering proposals from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to increase the range of activities that can be delegated to allied professionals who work with animals to ease the pressure on the workload of the practising vet. We are also looking forward to an increase in UK-trained vets thanks to several new veterinary schools opening across the UK. These include Surrey University, which saw its first cohort graduate in 2019, Harper Adams and Keele University, the University of Central Lancashire, Scottish Rural College and a collaboration between Aberystwyth University and the Royal Veterinary College. The increase in veterinary schools will lead to an increase in UK-trained vets graduating in the longer term.

Food Supply

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to divert crops intended for biofuel production into food production.

Lord Benyon: In 2019, 96,000 hectares of agricultural land in the UK were used to grow crops for bioenergy. This area represents just over 1.6% of the arable land in the UK. 20% of the land used for bioenergy was for biofuel (biodiesel and bioethanol) for the road transport market, with the remainder mostly used for heat and power production.Whilst growing crops for the biofuel sector offers farmers more routes to market for their harvest, and flexibility in their crop rotations, consideration must also be given to land biodiversity or carbon-store value.Our fantastic British farmers are world-leaders and carefully plan their planting to suit the weather, their soil type, and their long-term agronomic strategy. It is not government policy to determine which crops farmers should prioritise to include in their crop rotation.

Agriculture

The Lord Bishop of Exeter: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the impact of (1) inflationary, and (2) supply chain, pressures on British farming exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine; and what consideration they have given to pausing the phasing out of direct payments to farmers for two years to enable them to adjust to these changes in the market.

Lord Benyon: Agricultural commodity prices are strongly correlated to global gas prices. Farmers have seen an increase in their input costs, particularly fertiliser, feed and diesel. Through the UK Agricultural Market Monitoring Group, we are working to analyse market impacts and current trends. We have already announced steps to support farmers to move to alternatives to inorganic fertilisers, and the Farming Minister chaired a roundtable with industry last week. Our food import dependency on the Eastern Europe region is very low, so we do not expect any significant direct impact on UK food supply. Abandoning the phase out of the area based subsidy would not be the right thing to do. Those that would suffer would be the sectors already having a difficult time, including the pig and poultry sectors, which have never been heavily subsidised through the area-based payments. In 2017, £1.775bn of payments were made across 85,000 farms and 10% of claimants received half of this total. 33% of farms received less than £5,000 each.

Home Office

Armed Conflict: Ukraine

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) help, and (2) refuge, that can be given by the UK to those fleeing the Ukraine, following the Russian invasion of that country.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The United Kingdom stands firmly with the people of Ukraine. This Government has introduced two new schemes: the Ukraine Family Scheme announced on 4 March, and the ‘Homes for Ukraine’ Scheme announced by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities on 14 March.The Ukraine Family Scheme is fee-free and allows British nationals and people settled in the UK to bring family members to the UK, covering immediate family members plus parents, grandparents, children over 18 and siblings, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, cousins and in-laws. Individuals will be granted leave for three years and will be able to work and access public services and benefits. The ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme will allow individuals, charities, community groups and businesses in the UK to bring Ukrainians to safety – including those with no family ties to the UK. There is no limit on the number of arrivals, and those who come to the UK on the scheme are granted permission to live and work here for up to three years. They will also have access to public services and benefits. This government will work closely with international partners on the ground to support displaced Ukrainians in need of a home. The Home Office will work closely with international partners on the ground to support displaced Ukrainians in need of a home.

Visas: Ukraine

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have tointroduce visa-free travel for relatives of UK citizens living in Ukraine during the current emergency.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: There are no current plans to introduce visa free travel for relatives of UK citizens living in Ukraine. However, the Government has made a number of changes to help relatives of UK citizens to enter the UK.On 27 February 2022, the Government made changes to allow Ukrainian family members of British nationals to apply for a family migration visa, free of charge, if the British national usually lives in Ukraine.The Home Secretary announced on 1 March a fee free, bespoke Ukraine Family Scheme which allows both the immediate (spouse, civil partner, durable partner, minor children) and extended (parent, grandparent, adult children, grandchildren, siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, in laws and their immediate family) family members to join their relatives in the UK. The sponsoring relative must be a British citizen, a person who is present and settled in the UK (including those with settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme), a person in the UK with refugee leave or with humanitarian protection or a person in the UK with limited leave under Appendix EU (pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme). This route was launched on 4 March.A Ukrainian national with a valid passport is able to apply online for a Ukraine Family Scheme visa without the need to enrol their biometrics until after arrival in the UK.

Visas: Ukraine

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce humanitarian visas to Ukrainian refugees so that they can travel safely to the UK before claiming asylum.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We stand in solidarity with Ukraine and have established a Ukraine Family Scheme which is fee free and allows British nationals and people settled in the UK to bring both immediate and extended (covering immediate family members plus parents, grandparents, children over 18, siblings, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, cousins and in-laws) family members to the UK. We have also recently launched the Homes for Ukraine scheme, which will allow Ukrainians with no family ties to the UK to be sponsored to come to the UK. We will keep our support under constant review. We do not allow asylum claims from abroad, nor facilitate individuals to travel to the UK for the purposes of claiming asylum. However, all asylum claims that are lodged from within the UK are given full and careful consideration so that we do not remove anyone who faces persecution or serious harm on return to their country of origin. This means the safest and fastest way for Ukrainians and their families seeking to come to the UK to get the certainty they need is by accessing the humanitarian schemes we have established. Through these routes, individuals will be granted leave for three years, giving them confidence and securing their immediate future this country.

Refugees: Ukraine

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to permit anyone with a Ukrainian passport to take refuge in the UK.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: As set out in the Home Secretary’s statement to the House on 1 March, a fee free, bespoke Ukraine Family Scheme has been introduced. The route allows both the immediate family members (spouse, civil partner, durable partner, minor children) and extended family members (parent, grandparent, adult children, grandchildren, siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, in laws and their immediate family) to join their relatives in the UK. The UK-based sponsoring relative must be a British citizen, a person who is present and settled in the UK (including those with settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme), a person in the UK with refugee leave or with humanitarian protection or an EEA or Swiss national in the UK with limited leave under Appendix EU (pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme). This route was launched on 4 March.The ‘Homes for Ukraine’ Scheme launched by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 18 March, will allow individuals, charities, community groups and businesses in the UK to bring Ukrainians to safety – including those with no family ties to the UK. There will be no limit on the number of arrivals, and those who come to the UK on the scheme will have permission to live and work here for up to three years. They will also have access to healthcare, benefits, employment support and education.The Home Office is continually making efforts to simplify the application process for Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion and keeps this under regular review.From 15 March, those qualifying under the Homes for Ukraine or Ukraine Family Scheme with a valid Ukrainian passport can apply online for a visa without having to attend a visa application centre.

Asylum: Employment

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the number of asylum seekers who can work in the UK whilst their claims are being processed.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office allows asylum seekers the right to work in the UK if their claim has been outstanding for 12 months or more, through no fault of their own. Those permitted to work are restricted to jobs on the Shortage Occupation List, which is based on expert advice from the independent Migration Advisory Committee.A review of asylum seeker right to work policy has been concluded. We are retaining our policy with no further changes. A Written Ministerial Statement was made on 8 December, setting out the Home Office’s findings and rationale: Asylum Seekers: Right to Work Policy - Hansard - UK Parliament

Asylum and Refugees

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to speed up the processes for (1) applications for asylum and refugee protection, and (2) visas for entry and leave to remain in the UK.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: To help reduce the number of outstanding claims for protection we are investing in a programme of transformation and business improvement initiatives that will speed up and simplify our processes, reduce the time people spend in the asylum system and decrease the number of people who are awaiting an interview or decision.These initiatives include conducting shorter, more focused interviews or omitting interviews where it is appropriate to do so, streamlining decision templates and focusing on improving quality to ensure decisions are right first time. We have introduced specialist Decision Making Units, providing greater ownership and management of cohorts of asylum cases. Additionally, we have extensive ongoing recruitment and training plans in place, including career progression options that will aid the retention of staff.We are continuing to develop existing and new technology to help build on recent improvements such as digital interviewing and move away from a paper-based system. We are streamlining and digitising the case working process to enable more effective workflow, appointment booking and decision-making.The UK keeps its visa system and processes under regular review, and UKVI uses continuous improvement and stakeholder feedback to improve its services. For example, it recently introduced the biometric deferral process for Ukrainian nationals, enabling them to travel to the UK urgently and enrol biometrics in country, and it also launched new digital application forms that enable customers to prove their identity remotely without needing to submit documentation.

Visas: Fees and Charges

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish the application fees payable for all types of (1) new visas, and (2) renewals of existing visas; and if not, why not.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Fees for immigration and nationality applications are published on gov.uk and can be viewed through this link https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-fees-transparency-data

Immigration Controls

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 24 February (HL6429), what are the current average waiting times for passport control clearance for passengers at (1) ports, (2) airports, and (3) the Channel Tunnel terminus; and what discussions they have had with representativesfrom organisations in the tourism sector about the impact of passport clearance delays.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Resource and staffing requirements at every port are continually reviewed by Border Force who work closely with port operators to ensure resources are deployed flexibly as and when they are required.Border Force is committed to ensuring that passengers arriving in the UK receive an excellent service. But this must also be balanced with our responsibility to Border Security, checking 100% of passports and making sure that anyone or anything that might cause harm to the UK is properly dealt with. Performance against our passenger wait time SLA can be found in Border Force Transparency data available at:Border Force transparency data: Q4 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) We regularly engage with stakeholders form a range of sectors about the operation at the UK Border

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Voting Methods: Visual Impairment

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will ensure that (1) blind, and (2) partially sighted, voters have equal access to voting aids under the Elections Bill.

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is taking to address the High Court judgment of 3 May 2019 which found the arrangements for (1) blind, and (2) partially sighted, voters were unlawful.

Lord Greenhalgh: The changes in the Elections Bill aim to strengthen the support for all voters with disabilities in the polling station, including those that are blind or partially sighted, and to improve the way that this support is delivered. Rather than a blanket provision, we want voters with any form of disability to get the support that is right for them and for Returning Officers to tailor their approach to suit the needs of disabled electors in their area - including blind and partially sighted voters.We are working with the Electoral Commission to support guidance being produced to assist Returning Officers in carrying out their new duty. Whilst greater emphasis will be placed on meeting local disabled electors’ needs, including those who are blind and partially sighted, in a way which is tailored and targeted to their individual needs, the guidance will set clear baseline expectations and standards to support equal access to equipment and resources.The 2019 Judicial Review showed that the existing legislation is no longer fit for purpose and the changes in the Elections Bill will address this.

Liverpool City Council Commissioners

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Commissioners appointed to Liverpool City Council following the publication of the Max Caller Best Value Inspection report on 24 March will be producing regular reports on the progress they are making.

Lord Greenhalgh: On 10 June 2021 my Rt Hon. Friend, the then Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Robert Jenrick) updated the House that he had appointed a team of four Commissioners to Liverpool City Council. The Commissioners reporting arrangements were set out in paragraph 28 of the Explanatory Memorandum to the Directions made under section 15(5) and (6) of the Local Government Act 1999. They state that the former Secretary of State asked for six monthly reports from the Commissioners, or at such other times as he might agree with the Commissioners, which allows for a process for regular review of whether it would be appropriate for any function exercisable by the Commissioners to be returned to the Authority. The first report was expected as soon as was practicable within the first three months of the intervention.The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities made a Written Ministerial Statement and published the Commissioner’s first report, along with his response, on 25 November 2021. The Commissioners are due to report to the Secretary of State again in April 2022. This will be published in due course.

Liverpool City Council Commissioners: Costs

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the total cost of the Commissioners appointed to Liverpool City Council following the publication of the Max Caller Best Value Inspection report on 24 March; and who is responsible for that cost.

Lord Greenhalgh: On 10 June 2021 my Rt Hon. Friend, the then Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Robert Jenrick) updated the House that he had appointed a team of four Commissioners to Liverpool City Council. Further to my answer of 9 April 2021 , the Commissioners pay arrangements were set out in paragraph 26 of the Explanatory Memorandum to the Directions made under section 15(5) and (6) of the Local Government Act 1999. They provide that the Commissioners' reasonable expenses and such fees as the Secretary of State determines are to be paid to them by the Authority.   Commissioners publish their fees and any expenses claimed on Liverpool City Council's website .

Cabinet Office

Ministerial Responsibility

Baroness Hoey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Supreme Court judgment on R v Adams 2020,whether they plan to legislate to restore the Carltona Principle which provides that acts of government officials are synonymous with acts of a Secretary of State; and if so, when.

Lord True: The Government believes that lack of clarity on when the Carltona principle applies is unhelpful. We are not currently planning to legislate on this issue but we are continuing to keep the impact of the judgement in R v Adams, and options for responding, under careful review.

Treasury

Financial Services: Complaints

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government under what conditions a formal complaint against a financial service provider may be considered not a regulated activity by the Financial Ombudsman Service; and what forms of redress consumers have against financial malpractice by financial service providers.

Baroness Penn: The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) dispute resolution rules set out what complaints the Financial Ombudsman Service is able to look at. These are set out in the DISP rules in the FCA Handbook. These rules provide that the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) can consider complaints about regulated activities but also certain other activities which are not regulated activities. DISP 2.3.1R sets out what activities the FOS’s Compulsory Jurisdiction covers. https://www.handbook.fca.org.uk/handbook/DISP/2/3.html The FOS was set up by Parliament to resolve complaints between financial businesses and their customers quickly and with minimum formality, on the basis of what is, in the ombudsman’s opinion fair and reasonable in all the circumstances of the case. Where a complaint is determined in favour of the complainant, the FOS can make a money award in favour of the complainant or direct the businesses to take certain other steps.

Central Bank of the Russian Federation: Freezing of Assets

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to use the Russian Central Bank’s frozen reserves to help rebuild the Ukrainian economy.

Baroness Penn: The UK has not imposed an asset freeze against the Central Bank of Russia (CBR). On 1 March, the UK imposed sanctions that prohibit a UK person from providing financial services for the purpose of foreign exchange reserve and asset management to the Central Bank of Russia, the Ministry of Finance and the National Wealth Fund (or persons owned or controlled by them or acting on their behalf). The EU have imposed similar restrictions. HM Treasury is not responsible for holding frozen assets. On the enactment of an asset freeze, the funds and economic resources are to be frozen immediately by the person in possession or control of them. An asset freeze does not involve a change in ownership of the frozen funds or economic resources, nor are they confiscated or transferred to HM Treasury for safekeeping. Any release of frozen assets can only be accomplished legally with a licence from the Treasury’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation.

Bank Notes: Belarus

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to prohibit the provision of British-denominated banknotes to Belarus.

Baroness Penn: HMG has not made specific provisions to restrict the export of Sterling banknotes to Belarus. However, as part of our response to the Russian aggression in Ukraine, the Lukashenko regime is being made to feel the economic consequences for its support for Putin. The UK is working with our international partners to prevent those who fail to respect the rules-based international order from reaping its benefits. On 1 March, the Foreign Secretary launched a first package of sanctions on those Belarusian individuals and organisations who have aided and abetted Russia’s reckless aggression towards Ukraine. The Foreign Secretary has committed to going further. Our intention is to extend recent Russia sanctions to Belarus in due course. HM Government cannot provide any details about future sanctions beyond what has already been announced.

National Insurance Benefits

Lord Rooker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of people claiming contributory benefits as a result of the change to National Insurance contributions.

Baroness Penn: At Spring Statement 2022, the Government announced increases to the earnings thresholds from which Class 1 and Class 4 National Insurance is paid. This change does not affect eligibility for contributory benefits entitlement as the Lower Earnings Limits and Small Profits Thresholds are unchanged. Therefore, no change in the number of people claiming contributory benefits is expected.

Revenue and Customs: Standards

Lord Naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the quality of service provided to politically exposed persons by HM Revenue and Customs; and in particular of its responsiveness to telephone calls from such persons.

Baroness Penn: HMRC constantly reviews the quality of the service provided to this helpline in real time, with resources redeployed when necessary. Currently, the part of HMRC that deals with politically exposed customers has a service response rate of almost 50 per cent faster than the national average. In the week ending 20 March 2022, less than 2 per cent of calls to this line were abandoned and/or received busy messages.

Cryptocurrencies

Lord Cromwell: To ask Her Majesty's Government when theyintend to publish their response to their consultation on the UK regulatoryapproach to cryptoassets and stablecoins, which closed on 21 March 2021.

Lord Cromwell: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of stablecoins,including as an efficient means of payment.

Baroness Penn: On April 4, the government confirmed its intention to legislate, when Parliamentary time allows, to bring certain stablecoins within the regulatory perimeter for payments. It will achieve this primarily by amending the existing e-money and payments regulatory frameworks. The government’s proposed approach focusses on stablecoins in the near term, given their potential use as a widespread means of payment. The proposed legislative changes will create the conditions for stablecoin issuers and service providers to operate and grow in the UK. For consumers, bringing stablecoins used for payments into the regulatory framework means they will be able to use stablecoin services with confidence.

Trader Support Service

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many custom transactions the Trader Support Service has carried out for users in each year since it was created.

Baroness Penn: As of 28 March 2022, the Trader Support Service had processed a total of 5,407,838 customs declarations for goods movements on behalf of its users since it was created in 2020. 802 customs declarations were processed in 2020, 4,391,432 declarations in 2021, and 1,015,604 declarations in 2022.

National Insurance Contributions: Earnings Limits

Baroness Altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what the lower earnings limit for National Insurance will be set at for the years 2022–23; and whether any changes are proposed from July 2022.

Baroness Penn: As set out in The Social Security (Contributions) (Rates, Limits and Thresholds Amendments and National Insurance Funds Payments) Regulations 2022, the Lower Earnings Limit will be £123 per week in 2022-23. The threshold is not impacted by changes announced at Spring Statement 2022, so will remain at this level throughout the 2022-23 tax year.

Central Bank Digital Currencies

Lord Cromwell: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made with evaluating the benefits of a UK Central Bank Digital Currency.

Baroness Penn: The UK, like many countries globally, is actively exploring the potential role of central bank digital currencies (CBDC): an electronic form of central bank money that could be used by households and businesses to make payments.The government has taken several actions to signal its commitment to leading the global conversation on the opportunities and risks of a potential CBDC. This includes creating a new Taskforce led by HM Treasury and the Bank of England to lead exploration of a CBDC, with separate forums to engage civil society and technology experts. The government has also made a public commitment to issue a joint consultation with the Bank of England on the use cases for a UK CBDC in 2022, followed by the publication of a technical specification.At the international level, we have used our 2021 G7 Presidency to develop and agree a set of public policy principles for CBDC, which are intended to support and inform exploration of CBDCs in the G7 and beyond. The government and the Bank of England have not yet made a decision on whether to introduce a CBDC in the UK, and will engage widely with stakeholders on the benefits, risks and practicalities of doing so.

Trader Support Service

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many users arecurrently registered with the Trader Support Service; and how many of those users are located in (1) Northern Ireland, and (2) Great Britain.

Baroness Penn: There are 45,077 Traders currently registered with the Trader Support Service. 17,394 Traders are located in Northern Ireland, 26,653 are located in Great Britain, and 1,030 are located in Rest of World. These details are correct as of 25 March 2022.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Cultural Heritage: Museums and Galleries

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to establish an independentexpert panel to (1) deliberate, and (2) make recommendations, on (a) restitution, and (b) repatriation, claims on cultural objects (excepting Nazi-looted objects) held in public collections.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: HM Government has no plans to establish such a panel.Museums and galleries in the UK operate independently of HM Government. Decisions relating to their collections are a matter for the trustees of each museum.National museums are prevented by law from “deaccessioning” objects in their collections unless, broadly, they are duplicates or unfit for retention. The two exceptions to this are when the objects are human remains that are less than 1,000 years old, and objects that were spoliated during the Nazi era.

Young Audiences Content Fund

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byLord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 17 March (HL Deb col 450), how long the evaluation of the Young Audiences Content Fund will take; and when they will decide whether to extend that fund.

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the use of a levy on streaming services to help fund a continuation of theYoung Audiences Content Fund.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The full evaluation of the three-year pilot Young Audiences Content Fund will begin following the final determination of Year Three award funding; a timetable for the evaluation’s conclusion has not been set at this stage. The potential of further investment will be assessed following the conclusion of the evaluation and against future public service broadcasting needs.HM Government has no current plans to put additional taxes on video-on-demand services or to introduce levies.